6
Thursday, April 9,1998
American bands go brit-pop for hits
■ Mach Five’s CD conjures
up images of hot Brit-pop,
but Five’s lacks continuity.
It is no secret that Americans have a
love affair with psychedelic Brit-pop.
Just look at record sales for bands like
Oasis, Blur and the quick rise of the
Verve on this side of the Atlantic for tan
gible evidence of the “Manchester
sound’s”
growing state
side populari
ty-
What may
be even more
surprising is
that many of
the bands
THOMAS PAIL ;
CD RevwM
Mach Five
Mach Five
Island Records
ff
making good Brit-pop right now are
Americans. Locally, the now-defunct
Omegans showed everyone that even
Chapel Hill can produce some great
Brit-pop sounds.
The New York-based band Mach
Five is another instance of Americans
Athenaeum jumps out of college scene into national air play
■ The much anticipated
first release by the band
is now out in record stores.
The band started playing at small,
local clubs in its hometown of
Greensboro. Now, six years later,
Athenaeum is
releasing a
compact disc,
featuring
songs that are
already get
ting the band
airplay and
CHRIS ANDREW]
CD Renew
Athenaeum
Radiance
Atlantic Records
iff
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co-opting the sound of bands like Blur
and the Stone Roses. These bands are
now making it their own. Mach Five’s
self-titled new album is a surprisingly
decent collection of well-crafted, guitar
driven pop tunes.
Unfortunately, Mach Five’s song
writing brilliance is not consistent
throughout the entirety of their CD.
Four out of the 11 songs are good. The
rest are just filler to keep this from being
anEP.
The first track, “Can’t Stop It,”
sounds so much like the Stone Roses’
first album that you will be transported
back to the first time you heard them.
The fourth song, “Chuck” starts out
with the bass and rhythm track from
Grandmaster Flash’s “White Lines
(Don’t Do It).” The reference is to the
Duran Duran cover of “White Lines,”
which was a club hit in the ’Bos. The
song itself is an infectious pop tune that
will stick in your head like peanut butter.
In the Brit-pop tradition of Beatles
allusions, the eighth tune, “Space
Mantra” uses samples from “Sergeant
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
national attention.
The album was supposed to be
released in October 1997, then January,
then February, and now, after a year of
building up suspense and anticipation of
fans, the album is finally being released
and is definitely worth the wait. The
group of somewhat perfectionists has a
soft-pop sound that will blow you away.
“Radiance” features four songs from
Athenaeum’s first self-titled indepen
dently released compact disc that have
been re-recorded and perfected. The
other eight tracks are mixed by Jack
Joseph Puig (Black Crowes, Tonic) and
produced by Gavin MacKillop (Toad
the Wet Sprocket, Goo Goo Dolls).
DIVERSIONS
Mach Five on this song takes the pretty,
Beatles-influenced guitar hooks and cuts
them with a fuzzy instrumental sound
and trippy effects on singer Jeff Darien’s
voice. Tins is by far the best song on the
album.
“Shiny Shirt" is another good song
with a ton of energy and a Brian Wilson
sounding bridge (refreshingly weird in a
psychedelic Brit-pop tune).
Mach Five shows so much song writ
ing promise that when their songs are
bad, they seem extremely bad. “You’re
My Religion” is the best (or rather,
worst) example of this. The sickly tune
just seems to creep along as if it had
been written by six people in different
rooms.
While its nothing to write home
about, Mach Five’s first record on Island
reminds you enough of better bands to
make it worthwhile. It would have been
smarter for them to release a shorter
record than include a few of the worst
songs.
Look for Mach Five in the future if
you dig Brit-pop because these New
Yorkers show promise.
The CD combines the rich melodies
of bassist Alex McKinney, vocalist and
guitarist Grey Brewster, lead vocalist
and guitarist Mark Kano and drummer
Nick Brown bringing a wave of electric
ity to the ears of anyone hearing them.
The music has a lasting effect on the
listener because the songs combine
catchy tunes with good feelings.
Opening with their hit single, “What
I Didn’t Know,” the album begins with a
song about a guy that did not think he
could love the girl he sings about but
later realizes he cannot live without her.
Brewster and Kano’s rich sounds on
guitars stand out in the song and enter
tain with a garage-pop flavor.
2 turntables, microphone just
start of tonight’s Cradle show
BY MARISA BRICKMAN
STAFF WRITER
Despite the cheesy fluorescent fractal
fliers and oddly named artists, tonight’s
festivities at die Cat’s Cradle should
prove to be something worth checking
out. Designed to touch on all five sens
es, local electronic musicians, DJs, per
formance artists and visual imaging
combine in an effort to create a full sen
sory experience.
Vegan Vibe, Dubbassassin, DJ Steve
Brown, and DJ Dru will fill the ear,
while Vortexya visuals capture the eye.
Electric Butterfly Tribe plans to satisfy
all five senses, including that of taste.
“We’re hoping to transform the
Cradle; we want people to walk in and
feel like they are somewhere else,” said
Marcell Marias of Vegan Vibe and
Vortexya. “If anything, its going to be
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With four songs of high quality, Mach Five has managed to release a CD
that keeps them from being a potential flash in the pan.
Kano follows in the path of many
famous vocalists of this genre, singing
mostly of relationships and heartaches.
Athenaeum has been compared to
bands such as Toad the Wet Sprocket
and Dillon Fence—both of which have
had a big influence on all four.
But Kano’s amazing voice is unlike
any other. It is a fresh and new sound,
ranging in pitch from very deep to a
higher tone. The next track, “Flat Tire,”
has slower rhythms and tempos. Both
are equally impressive.
Kano uses clever comparisons in the
lyrics of this song, but the listener might
not catch on upon hearing them for the
first time, such as, “So tough, I didn’t
interesting.”
For an audience, watching an artist
stand in front of his machines and push
buttons is hardly entertaining. So if his
or her persona cannot carry the perfor
mance, other entertaining aspects
become necessary. Video projections are
quickly becoming synonymous with live
electronic music.
Created in the same computer-based
manner as the music, the visuals tend to
have an auditory quality as well, chang
ing with the beat of the music.
“Vortexya’s style is pretty psychedel
ic and fractalized, but strays away from
the more simplistic stereotypical big
party projections," said Marias. “We’re
into interaction, incorporating the visu
als and the dancing.”
A video feedback machine will dis
tort and project live party footage to
enhance crowd participation.
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even wanna chew / Your lies were the
best I ever knew.”
The remainder of the disc is very
enjoyable especially if garage-pop is
your thing. For fans that enjoyed
“Summertime,” a hooky song that
gained the band local popularity from
the indie CD, you won’t hear it here.
Athenaeum opted to not include the
song and tried for a more professional
approach to their music. It succeeded.
Rave reviews from around the coun
try came their way. Now, the band has
worked its way from fraternity parties to
your car radio, and now with the release
of “Radiance,” the band is likely to be
around for a long time to come.
DJ Steve Brown, music director of
WKNC’s after-hours techno show will
be spinning a mix of house, dub and
acid jazz from two-pitch adjustable CD
players. He said he considered his music
to be pretty chill, but danceable, and he
assured there will definitely be beats.
One would think the only guy spin
ning on turntables would have some
sort of aversion to the line-up of elec
tronic performers, but DJ Dru has per
formed with some of the other artists
before tonight.
“We’re not trying to create a rave-like
atmosphere. In fact, we’re all very anti
rave,” said co-organizer and promoter
Ron Royster. “With the quadraphonic
(surround-sound) speaker system and
visuals, we’re hoping to blow everyone’s
minds.”
Electronic Butterfly Tribe will be pro
viding the extra-additives of atmos
pheric interaction. They have a number
of special performances and audience
participation activities planned.
“We don’t want to give too much
away," said Royster. “But it’s probably
something you’ve never seen and defi
nitely don’t want to miss.”
So it all sounds a little strange, even
hokey at first, but put your misgivings
aside and stop by to see what it’s all
about you’ve got to be curious.
Check out the Dubassassins’ Web
page for more info and music samples:
http://members.tripod.com/~dubas
sassin/msse.html
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Arts &
Entertainment
Calendar
MUSIC
Local Music Venues
Cats Cradle. 300 E. Main St., Carrboro. 967-
9053.
The Cave. 452 1/2 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill.
968-9308
Lizard & Snake Cafe. 110 N. Columbia St.,
Chapel Hill. 929-2828.
Local 506.506 W. Franklin St.. Chapel Hill.
942-5506.
Skylight Exchange. 405 1/2 W. Rosemary St.
933-5550.
Thursday, April 9
A Full Sensory Stimulus Experience at
Cat's Cradle.
Mayflies, Starpoint at Lizard & Snake.
The Holy Smokes at The Cave.
Doleful Lions, Bullwinkel Gandhi at Local
506.
Friday, April 10
COWS w/ Zsn Guerilla at Cat's Cradle.
Anna to the Infinite Power, Wunderkind
at Lizard & Snake.
The Big Blues Quartet at The Cave.
Mayflies USA Gumption at Local 506.
Saturday, April 11
Reggae Jam at Cat’s Cradle.
Chris Whitely w/ Michele Malone ft
Melissa Sheehan at Lizard & Snake.
Trailer Bride at The Cave.
Grover, Troubadors of Divine Singing
Bliss at Local 506.
Sunday, April 12
The Business, Drop Kick Murpheys,
Patriot at Cat's Cradle.
Monday, April 13
John Svara at The Cave.
Tuesday, April 14
Mandolin Mind Trick at The Cave.
The Bindlestiff Family Circle at Local 506.
Wednesday, April 15
Gibb Droll at Cat's Cradle.
Antiheroes, Blanks 77 at the Lizard and
Snake.
Dims Store Indian at The Cave.
Mount Pilot, The Johnsons at Local 506.
THEATER
"The Threepenny Opera.' Play Makers
Repertory Company. Running April 15 to
May 10. Paul Green Theatre. Ticket prices
vary by day and time of show. For more
ticket information, call 962-PLAY.
ART
'Look Homeward: Douglas Gorsline Illustrates
Thomas Wolfe.' Through May 31. The
Ackland Art Museum. 966-5736.
"New Currents in Contemporary Art The 1998
Master of Fine Arts Exhibition.' Through May
24. The Ackland Art Museum. 966-5736.
PLAN AHEAD
The Indigo Girls. Presented by the Carolina
Union Activities Board. Wednesday, April 29.
8 p.m. Memorial Hall. Tickets on sale today
at The Carolina Union Box Office for UNC
students only. The general public may pur
chase tickets on Monday, April 13. Tickets
$29 for UNC students, $35 for general pub
lic.
Squirrel Nut-Zippers. Tuesday, April 21.8 p.m.
Page Auditorium, Duke University. Tckets
$25 for general admission. Call Page Box
office at 684-4444.
ETC.
Scarce Sightings. Today. 7 p.m. Rialto Theater,
Raleigh. Inaugural showing of unique films
that otherwise would not be shown in the
Triangle. 859-4959
i 5C
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■ 189 E. Franklin SL • Near the Pott Office
j Open til Midnite Mon-Thur; til 10pm Fri-Sun
_?33^9?9_